Pattern Recognition With A Wavelength-Angle Multiplexed Optical Scanning Correlator

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel approach to building a 2-D scanning optical correlator with large memory capacity for multiple-object tracking, with possible applications for telerobotic vision in the Space Station. The system consists of a tunable dye laser and a dispersive optical element such as a diffraction grating. The 2-D scanning operation is achieved by sequential tuning of the dye laser and rotation of the diffraction grating about the optical axis. The system capacity is greatly incresed by this wavelength-angle multiplexing scheme. In synthesizing the spatially multiplexed matched spatial filters, a monochromatic laser is used with a spatial carrier and scale compensation technique. Up to 1000 filters can be fabricated on a single holographic plate with a modest requirement of system space-bandwidth product. Several illustrating experimental demonstrations are presented.